THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

PLENARY: The Conference will open at 10:00 am in Conference
Room 2. The initial items on the agenda, as contained in document
A/CONF.164/5, are primarily procedural in nature: opening of the
Conference, election of the Chair, adoption of the rules of
procedure, adoption of the agenda and election of officers other
than the Chair. Other procedural matters to be discussed include
the organization of work and the credentials of representatives for
the Conference. After completion or postponement of these
procedural items, the Plenary will turn to the substantive issues
and commence three days of general statements. During the general
debate, look for signals of government positions on the following
issues: freedom to fish on the high seas versus the concept of
global commons; announcements regarding commitments to a
legally-binding UN agreement or treaty regulating fishing practices
on the high seas; and the precautionary approach principle as
applied to fisheries.

NGO ACTIVITIES: The NGO Strategy Session will meet at both
9:30 am and 6:30 pm in Conference Room C. These daily sessions will
be devoted to sharing of information and discussing conference
activities.

NGOs will also table a statement on straddling and highly migratory
fish stocks today. This call for global fisheries reform has been
endorsed by 55 NGOs from 25 countries. The primary emphasis of the
statement is fisheries conservation, environmental protection and
respect for the rights of traditional small-scale coastal fishing
communities.